Molding-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE.

FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN, OF MATTEAVVAN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES L.GOEHRING, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,444, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed December 23, 1890. fierial No. 375,611. (No model.) I

. full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and to the figures and letters of reference markedthereon.

This invention relates to that class of molding-machines for producingornamental and other designs and figures upon the surface of thematerial by the conjoint action of oscillatory reciprocatingcutter-heads and the feed mechanism, the latter acting upon the materialto advance it beneath the oscillatory reciprocating cutter head, asdisclosed in Patents Nos. 394,763 and 394,767, granted to O. L. GoehringDecember 18, 1888.

In machines of the class referred to as heretofore constructed theoscillatory reciprocating motions, as between the material and thecutter-head, necessary to the production of finished moldings have beeneffected by giving to the cutter-head a reciprocating motion laterallyof the feed movement and simultaneously therewith oscillating thecutter-head in a direction and degree corresponding to the reciprocatingmovements communicated to the cutter-head. In order to produce andaccommodate this compound oscillatory reciprocating movement of thecutter head, complex and expensive mechanism is required in order toprovide for the necessary adjustments to accommodate diderent designsand to insure the steady running of the cutter-head and preventchattering.

My invention further consists in the organ ization of a machine forproducing complete moldings for panels, 850., upon the principles laiddown in the said Goehrin g patents, which I am enabled to do moreeconomically and readily by the aid of the laterally-movablework-support, acting in conjunction with the longitudinal feed andoscillatory cutter, than can be efl'ected when the oscillatoryreciprocating motions are confined to the cutterhead.

The said invention will first be described,

and the novel features pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, of apaneling-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation,partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing under side offeed-table. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view representing a completeddesign or panel. Fig. 5 is a plan view of turret and its pivotalsupport, the turret being partially broken away and the carriageremoved.

Similar letters and numerals of reference in the several figuresindicate the same part-s.

The letter A designates the frame of the machine, of any desired orapproved construction, provided with an overhanging frame or arm A toaccommodate and sustain the oscillating cutter-head.

B is the cutter-head, provided with suitablyshaped bits or cutters b andsecured upon an arbor B, mounted in an arbor-frame B and carrying adrivingpulley B The arborframe B is pivotally supported in the arm A, soas to be capable of an oscillatory movement about a vertical axis, as bysecuring it in or to a vertical post 0, mounted in bearings in or on thearm A. The connection between the arbor-frame B and post 0 is onepermitting of the lateral adjustment of the cutter-head with respect tothe axis of oscillation, which may be effected by forming ways 0 uponthe postO and fitting the arbor-frame to slide upon said ways, suitablemeanssuch as a bolt c-being employed for clamping or holding thearbor-frame in adjusted position. Upon the post (3 is fitted a collar C,which is connected to the post in a manner to permit longitudinal motionof the one with respect to the other, but at the same time compels themto rotate in unison. Suchaconnection may be formed by a groove in theone and a spline or key on the other. Through an arm 0 projecting fromcollar O, is passed a rod or screw shaft 0 held from longitudinalmovement in said arm by collars c 01 equivalent means, its lowerscrew-threaded portion taking into an internally-threaded hub orprojection c on the lower portion of the post (J, by which means thepost can be adjusted longitudinally with respect to the frame and collar0' to determine the elevation of the cutter-head above the work-support.

The following means are provided for effecting and controlling theoscillatory movements of the cutter-head and its arbor: A shaft D,mounted in bearings on the frame A, carries an eccentric or pattern cam1, op-

erating upon a yoke or saddle d to give mo tion to a rod (1, whichlatter in turn acts through a bell-crank lever d and rod d to transmitmotion to the collar 0 and post 0, the outer end of said rod (1 being inengagement with a projection or hearing d on the collar. On the side ofthe collar 0' opposite the bearing d is a bearing d for thrust-rod d thelatter being interposed between said bearing 61 and a lever d carryingan adjustable weight d The weight acts in opposition to the thrust ofthe eccentric or cam 1 and holds all the parts pressed toward the cam,thus preventing lost motion and compelling the post and the cutter-headborne thereby to follow the motions inaugurated by said cam or patternsurface.

As will be obvious, other and equivalent devices may be employed fortransmitting motion from the pattern-surface to the post to effecttheoscillatory movements of the cutterhead; but the mechanismvshown hasproved well suited for the purpose, hence it is illustrated as thepreferred embodiment.

It will be noted that, aside from the movements for adjustment and therotation of the arbor and cutter-head, provision is made for.automatically effecting a movement of the cutter-head in but onedirectionz'. e., about an axis perpendicular to the arbor andintersecting the cutter-head thereon. The lateral motions necessary tothe production of the. designs and to accommodate the varying angularpositions of the arbor with respect to the actual line of direction ofthe feed move-v ment are effected through the medium of the work supportor table over which the material is fed or by which it is carried.

As in panel-work it is desirable that the blank board to be ornamentedshould be held firmly While being operated upon and should be capable ofmoving in either direction under the influence of the feeding mechanism,I have shown a feeding device provided with a traveling bed or carriageand furnished with proper devices for clamping and holding the blankthereon; but I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention tothe use of this particular class of feed devices a, such as employ atraveling car-. riage fwith the blank fastened thereto.as other knownstyles of feeding devices may be substituted which will permit of alateral reciprocating motion being given to the blank during its passagebeneath the cutter-head.

As before remarked, the present machine is especially designed for whatis known as panel-work, and to that end is furnished with a carriage E,provided with movable clamping-dogs e or equivalent devices for holdingthe blank. The carriage E is mounted to move longitudinally in ways e ona base plate or support E, the latter supported on guides e on the mainframe, so as to have motion in a plane transverse to the motion of thecarriage. It will be observed that the longitudinal motion of thecarriage E, herein termed the. feed motion, is in a directionsubstantially at right angles to the arbor carrying the cutter-head,Whereas the movement of the support E is in a direction substantiallyparallel to the axis of the arbor and transverseto the feed motion, and,further, that the blank supported upon the carriage will partake of bothmotions during its passage beneath the cutter-head. Hence the actualmotion of the material at any one instant will be a mean between thelateral and feed motions, so that if the oscillatory motion of thecutter-h ead is properly timed and adjusted to coincide with the actualline of movement of the surface at the point acted upon by the cuttersthe latter will be properly pres'ented to the moving material and willproduce the finished design or molding required. The longitudinalmovement or feed motion of the carriage E may be effected through. theagency of a gear-wheel F, mounted upon a vertical axis or shaft l? andengaging the teeth of a rack F on the carriage E. The lateral motions ofthe material may be effected by an eccentric or pattern cam 2, actingthrough suitable intermediate transmitting devices upon the support E.Thus in the illustration given the cam 2 is mounted upon the same shaftD, carrying cam 1, and is arranged to act through a yoke g, bell-crankg, and rod 9 upon the adjustable section E of support E, the returnmovements of the support being effected bya lever 9 engaging saidsection E and provided with a weight g. The transmitting devices arearranged to act upon the section E rather than directly upon an integralportion of the support Ein order to provide for the convenient adjustment of thecarriage and the blank carried thereby, which result isaccomplished by interposing an adjusting or extensible connection(represented by screw g between the support E and the movable section Ewhereby the one maybe moved nearer to or farther from the other tolocate the work properly with reference to the cutter-head.

With the addition of suitable driving mechanism connecting the shaft D,carrying the pattern-cams, and the shaft F, carrying the gear F, so thatthese elements will be driven at the proper relative speeds to producethe given design, the machine as thus far described is completelyorganized for forming moldings or designs running longitudinally of theplank or blank operated upon; but special provision or modification isnecessary to enable panel-work to be performed expeditiously andaccurately. Thus byreference to Fig. 4: the machine is competent to formde-. signs running lengthwise of the blank, as represented at p 10; butin order to finish the panel it is necessary to connect thecorresponding ends of the two side lines by lines of molding, asrepresented at p p.

Before describing the means provided for forming panel designs I willrefer, briefly, to the driving mechanism or gearing shown for producingand insuring the proper move? ments of the actuating devices, Thepattern-cam shaft D is furnished with a gear d in mesh with a gear d onshaft 61 said last-named gear and shaft being driven by a pinion d onshaft d carrying the driving-pulley d. The shaft (1 is supported inhearings in the frame, and on it is mounted a bevel-gear f, connected bya feather and groove or equivalent means permitting the gear to movelongitudinally of the shaft, but compelling their simultaneous rotation.The gear f is supported in a frame f, depending from or secured to thesupport E, and said gear meshes with a gear f on shaft F, carryinggear-wheel F, through which motion is transmitted to the carriage. Theshaft F is permitted longitudinal movement through its bevel-gear f andcan be raised and lowered so as to cause its gear F to be brought intocontact with rack F to drive the carriage or to be withdrawn from saidrack to interrupt the feed motion. In order that the gear F may bereadily withdrawn from or placed in connection with the rack, its shaftF is provided with collars f between which is interposed a loose collarf", pivotally connected to a lever f hung on a link f from frame f Thelever can be operated by the hand or foot to start or interrupt the feedmotion, as desired.

In order to adapt the machine for joining the side moldings and form thepanel, in place of mounting the carriage in ways on the support E itsWays 6 are formed upon a turret or plate H intermediate the carriage andsupport, but pivotally connected to the latter, so that the said plateor turret, together with the carriage, can be swung around a verticalaxis. In the presentinstance the pivotal connection between the turretand support is effected by providing the support withan annular flangeor hub h on its upper surface and forming a circular bearing in theturret fitting upon said hub.

The pivot is preferably annular in form to accommodate the gear F whenwithdrawn from the rack, and when other means are employed forinterrupting the feed motion a solid pivot can, if desired, be used.Suitable means are employed for holding the turret down upon thesupport-such, for example, as fian ges or bolts 9 the latter working inslots concentric with the axis of. the turret.

The carriage E is provided with tworacks F ranged to one side of theaxis about which the turret moves, so that when the carriage is inposition to feed the material longitudione on either side, and the shaftF is arnally the gear F will engage one rack, and where the turret isswung upon its axis to reverse the position of the blank and the feedmotion the opposite rack will be brought into position to engage gear F.

Suitable devices are employed for locking the-turret against motion onits pivot after it has been swung around and brought into position forthe feed motion to take place. A device of this kind is illustrated bythe removable pin 12 passed through the turret or plate and engaging thesupport, although other equivalent devices may be used for the purpose.

The mode of operation to be pursued in forming panels and like articleswherein the figure is composed of two or more waved or irregular linesof molding intersecting at an angle and formed, the one as acontinuation of the other, is as follows: The various actuating devicescontrolling the feed motion and lateral reciprocations of the carriageand the oscillations of the cutter-head having been properly set oradjusted to produce the required design, the turret is fastened to thesupport, the carriage is drawn to one extreme of the feed movementi. e.,to the beginning of one of the side lines 19, Fig. 4c-and the feedingmechanism is started by raising the gear F until its teeth mesh withthose of the rack on the carriage. What is termed a straight-way feednow takes place-that is to say, the carriage is propelled in a straightline and at the same timereciprocatedlaterally to correspond to theoscillations of the cutterhead, resulting in the production of a moldingrunning longitudinally of the blank, as represented at 12, Fig. 4. Assoon as the cutter arrives at the end of line 19 the actuatingmechanisms are disconnected from the driving-shaft, as by means of aclutch or beltshifter, thereby interrupting the reciprocating motion ofthe carriage and the oscillating motion of the cutter-head, after whichthe gear F is withdrawn to release the carriage. When the end of thepanel is to be provided with a symmetrical curve joining the two sidemoldings p, the axial center of the turret is brought in line with thearbor of the cutterhead, but to one side of the axis about which thecutter head oscillates, and the cutter-head is brought to a centerthatis, midway of the oscillations-so that the arbor will stand on a lineradial to the center of the turret. This adjustment to center the arbormay readily be obtained should the machine not be stopped at the exactpoint, by a proper manipulation of the actuating devices, for whichpurpose a hand-wheel J may be provided to assist in turning thegear-train so as to properly locate the cutter-head. The pin or otherfastening device for locking the turret upon'its support is nowWithdrawn and the turret, carriage,

and blank are swung around, thus causing the cutter to traverse theblank in the are of acircle. This motion is continued until the hole orotherindic'ator on the opposite side of the turret registers with thehole in the support and the pin is again inserted and the turret lockedto its support.

Owing to the fact that the shaft of gear F is located to one side of thecenter about which the turret was turned as the carriage is reversedthatis, changed end for end upon its support-the opposite rack is broughtinto position to be engaged by said gear F, so that upon elevating thegear the feed motion will again take place, but in the oppositedirection from the first feed.

It is of course understood that the drivinggear and actuating devicesare set in motion simultaneously with the inauguration of the feedmovement, which action is insured by raising the gear F into engagementwith the rack before starting up the gear-train.

The remaining side and end are completed by repeating the operationsdescribed in forming the first side and end, the cutter being broughtback to the starting-point without having been once taken from the cut.

An infinite variety of designs or moldings can be produced by the properadjustment of the several mechanisms and complete and perfect panelingcan be made without joint or break; or, if desired, the panel can bemade up of a number of separate strips, blocks, or parts fitted togetherand subjected to the action of the machine, either separately, ingroups, or collectively, and in any event the moldings can be made tomatch perfectly without subsequent fitting.

The movable carriage and its pivoted support or turret may be employedto advantage in connection with an oscillatory reciprocating cuttingmechanism-such as is shown in the Goehring patents referred toforforming panels, in which case the devices for reciprocating the supporton which the turret is mounted may be disconnected or dispensed with.

It will be observed that in this machine a fixed center is providedabout which the workholder and the guides in which it travels is turned.Hence the cutter-head will always bear a fixed relation to the work atthe point of contact therewith, the mandrel preserving the same radialposition. This is effected by arranging the flange or hub h, upon whichthe carriage and its ways are turned within its axis, coincident withthe axis of the shaft supporting the cutter-head arbor, so that when thefeed-motion is arrested and the turret reversed or turned half-wayaround, the arbor of the cutter-head will stand on a line substantiallyradial to the axis of motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In amolding-machine, the combination, with an oscillating cutter-head, of afeeding mechanism for advancing the material beneath the cutter-head andawork-support reciprocated laterally of the line of feed motion,substantially as described.

2. In a molding-machine, the combination,

with the oscillating cutter-head, of a longitu dinally-movable andlaterally-reciprocatin g worksupport, substantially as described.

3. In a molding-machine, wherein the material is fed at predeterminedspeed past a rotating cutter-head oscillating about an axisperpendicular to the direction of the feed motion of the material, andin combination with the feeding devices and oscillating cutter-headthereof, a support for the material, and actuating devices engaging saidsupport and operating to reciprocate the material on a line transverseto the direction of feed motion and in direction and degree proportionalto the oscillations of the cutter-head, substantially as described.

4. In a molding-machine, the combination, with the rotating cutter-headmounted to oscillate about an axis perpendicular to the axis ofrotation, of a longitudinally-movable and laterally-reciprocatingwork-support or carriage, substantially as described.

5. In a molding-machine, the combination, with an oscillatingcutter-head and a carriage movable in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the axis about which the cutter-head oscillates, saidcarriage being connected to a movable frame or support reciprocating ina direction transverse to the feed motion, substantially as described.

6. In a molding-machine, and in combination with the oscillatingcutter-head thereof, a movable carriage supported in reversible guides,substantially as described.

'7. In a molding-machine, and in combination with the rotatingcutter-head thereof, a traveling carriage or work-support movable inguides on a reversible plate or turret, substantially as described.

8. In a molding-machine, and in combination with the cutter-headthereof, a reciprocating support or frame carrying a reversible plate orturret and a work-support or carriage mounted in guides on saidreversible plate or turret, substantially as described.

9. In a molding-machine, and in combination with the oscillatingcutter-head thereof, a reciprocating frame or support, a plate or turretpivotally mounted upon said reciprocating support, a work-support orcarriage mounted upon said turret, and actuating devices forreciprocating said support and feeding devices for advancing thecarriage, substantially as described.

10. In a machine, the combination, with a feeding mechanism, awork-support reciprocating laterally of the direction of feed, and arotating cutter-head mounted to oscillate about an axis intersecting thecutters and the material, substantially as described.

11. In a machine, the combination, with a frame or support movable inguides on the main frame, a plate or turret pivotally attached to saidsupport and provided with IIO means for looking it in position, and awork- 7 support or carriage movable in guides on said rotary turret,substantially as described.

12. In a machine, the combination, with the supporting-frame and theplate or turret pivotally mounted thereon, the Work-support or carriagemovable on the turret and provided with two racks, and the driving-gearmounted upon a shaft set eccentrically to the axis of the turret,substantially as described.

13. In a machine, and in combination with the Work-support or carriagemovable in guides on the reversible turret or plate and provided withtwo racks, the support or frame to which said turret is attached and themovable driving-gear set eccentrically to the axis of the turret,substantially as described.

14. In a machine, and in combination with the. oscillating cutter-head,a work-support or carriage movable in guides and supported upon a plateor turret, the latter pivotally supported to move about an axis parallelwith but to one side of the axis about which the cutter-head oscillates,substantially as described.

15. In a machine, and in combination with the oscillating cutter-head,aplate or turret movable about an axis parallel with the axis aboutwhich the cutter-head oscillates, a support for said turret movable inguides, and a work-support or carriage mounted on the turret and movablein a plane transverse to the direction of motion of the supporting-frameon which the turret is mounted, substantially as described.

16. In a machine, the combination, with a reversible Work-support orcarriage provided with two racks, of a driving-gear rotating in onedirection and adapted to alternately engage the racks for reversing themotion of the carriage, substantially as described.

17. In a machine, and in combination with the carriage, its pivotedsupporting plate or turret, and the movable frame or support therefor,the feed-operating devices mounted upon said movable frame and actuatingthe carriage, the same comprising the longitudinally-movable shaftcarrying the gear for engaging the carriage, the gears for transm ttingmotion from the driving-shaft to the said movable shaft, and the devicesfor reciproeating said last-named shaft to start or stop the carriage,substantially as described.

18. In a machine, and in combination With the oscillating cutter-head,laterally-recipro eating work-support, and feeding dev ces for advancingthe material, a gear tra n and actuating devices controlling theoscillation of the cutter-head, the feed motion, and the lateralreciprocations of the material, substantially as described.

19. In a machine, and in combination with the oscillating cutter-headand longitudinallymovable carriage or w0rksupport, the frame or supportreciprocating laterally of the feed motion, and a reversible plate orturret 1nterposed between the said carriage and reciprocating frame,actuating devices fonreciprocating said frame, and actuating devices forfeeding the carriage, provided with means for interrupting the feed,substantially as described.

20. In a machine, and in combination with the longitudinally-movableWork-support or carriage, the laterally-reciprocating support or frameon which said carriage is mounted, actuating devices for reciprocatingsaid frame, and an extensible connection interposed in the line of saidactuating devices and operating to adjust the position of the carriageand its line of motion with respect to the axis about which thecutter-head oscillates, substantially as described. I

FRANK H. VAN HOUTEN.

Witnesses: I

ALEX. J. STEWART, THOMAS DURANT.

